This was announced by the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Department after an investigation into why nearly 1,000 wells had dried up in Yen Tho Commune in Yen Dinh District, Giao Thông (Transport) newspaper reported.

To deal with this situation, provincial and local authorities were using irrigation canals to supply water to households.

Local residents had been instructed to filter the water before use.

This was a temporary solution, authorities said, adding they were looking for a long term solution for the situation.

Yen Tho Commune is home to about 4,400 people, the majority of whom are facing water shortages or using unsafe water sources.

In January, 450 households were reported to be without water, and that number increased to over 920 in March, said Ho Xuan Binh, chairman of Yen Tho Commune’s People’s Committee.

"This is an unusual phenomenon and has never happened before," Binh said.